Tag Archives: Punch and Judy

Genuine Laughter

 

Ron and Mr Punch

There is nothing so pleasing as genuine laughter. I was performing my Punch and Judy Show recently up in the North East and there was one little boy who giggled and giggled from the very start to the very end. It was an absolute delight. There is something magical about the interaction between the children and the puppets. It doesn’t matter where you are nearly all groups of kids react in the same way. They just seem to love the good old fashioned knock about fun. 

Of course it’s not just the children who are having a great time. From inside my puppet theatre I can hear the grown ups laughing too. Sometimes they are joining in as much or even more than the children. 

How often have you sat in front of the television watching a comedy and listening to all the piped laughter thinking this is not funny. I know I have many times. Its very refreshing to hear people laughing out loud because they really are enjoying and finding funny what they see.

When I am standing inside my puppet booth I am unable to see the audience. I rely on hearing them to gauge reaction and to time my performance. It is wonderful to work the puppets and trigger spontaneous laughter. It makes it all worthwhile.

I am looking forward to summer and taking Mr Punch out on his rounds once again. Hopefully we will bring smiles and happiness to regular fans and make many new friends to.

That’s the way to do it!

www.jollygoodfun.co.uk

 

Punch and Judy Man, County Durham

Punch and Judy in County Durham

Punch and Judy Show

Punch and Judy, Wittingham Show

Living practically on the borders of County Durham and North Yorkshire leaves me with a foot in both camps. Am I a County Durham Punch and Judy Man or a Yorkshire Punch and Judy Man? Well. what’s in a name? I have probably performed as many shows in Durham as I have in Yorkshire so although my postal address puts me firmly in the latter for practical purposes I might easily be in the former.

For a good many years my home has been the lovely own of Richmond but before settling here to raise a family I lived close to Chester Le Street and the city of Durham will always be one of my favorite places.

One of the great pleasures of being a Punch and Judy Man is that it brings you into contact with the general public. For me it is wonderful to bring pleasure to people through my show. The children in the audience express their excitement and enjoyment with smiles and laughter but it is also great to chat with the adults afterwards. You would be surprised at how many folk come over to say how much they have enjoyed watching or how it reminded them of their own childhood.

I am very lucky that for quite a few years now I have been  invited to perform at events taking place at Beamish Museum. If you haven’t been here it is a fantastic place and well worth going. Lots of local people from County Durham have annual membership and so I get to see some of them on a regular basis, which is nice as Durham people are a warm and friendly lot.

If you are looking to hire a Punch and Judy Show for an event in County Durham please give me a call. I live only thirty five minutes away from Durham city. If you are attending an event in County Durham over the summer and you see a Punch and Judy Show then it could well be me.

Hire a Punch and Judy Show

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Mr Punch and the Padre

You can’t beat a nice cup of Rosie Lee!

Mr Punch enjoys a cuppa the same as anyone else. Lucky for him he bumped into the padre who just happened to have a brew on the go. All old soldiers will tell you how important tea is for morale. After all performing in a Punch and Judy Show is a bit like going into battle.

Photo taken at Beamish Museum.

Mr Punch and the Padre

Mr Punch and the Padre

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Who Do You Think You Are Mr Punch?

Mr Punch Meets His Maker

Perhaps it came as a shock to Mr Punch to discover he is made of wood. If he was feeling nervous he certainly didn’t show it. This is Mr Punch at the Beamish Museum Autumn Agricultural Show with a master craftsmen highly skilled in the art of woodcraft. Taking a break after another energetic performance of his famous Punch and Judy Show, old red nose slipped into the craft tent for a breather. What a come down after 350 years of celebrity status to suddenly find your ancestor was a tree!

Mr Punch with the Master Craftsman.

Mr Punch in the craft tent.

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Mr Punch and The Barrel Organ

Musical Mr Punch

Mr Punch found himself next to this wonderful barrel organ at the Beamish Museum Agricultural Show. Fortunately this type of music is right up his street, Punch being rather musical himself. In between shows Mr Punch was able to take a break and plonk himself down and enjoy the lovely atmosphere. He thought the fellows on either side seemed a bit wooden as they hardly moved. At least in the Punch and Judy Show one gets to dance, sing and prance around!

Mr Punch and Barrel Organ

Mr Punch and Barrel Organ

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Beighton Gala with Mr Punch

Beighton Gala 2015

What a popular event this is. I was booked to perform my Punch and Judy Show and as ever when attending an event for the first time you never know what to expect. This turned out to be one of the busiest community events I have ever been to. It was buzzing with people. One of the traders told me that he comes every year and it is the best gala in the area.

There were two arenas, a fairground, bouncy castles, entertainers, side shows and numerous stalls selling all manner of things.

Punch and Judy Show

Punch and Judy Show

I’m not sure how many people come to his event but there must of been thousands. I performed four shows and had good size audiences every one.

Although I now live in Richmond, North Yorkshire I did once serve in a Territorial Army unit based in Sheffield and I have many happy memories from my time in South Yorkshire. It is always nice to return.

I am pleased to say that Mr Punch was given a warm and friendly welcome at the Beighton Gala. Lots of happy children and lots of folk enjoying themselves. What could be better.

That’s the way to do it!

Punch and Judy in Durham

Punch and Judy Shows in County Durham

Punch and Judy

Punch and Judy (Photo credit: ronwooduk)

The very first Punch and Judy Show I ever performed was at a birthday party taking place the Dolphin Centre in Darlington. That was a long time ago and I do remember being very nervous. If I am honest the performance probably wasn’t brilliant but the children at the party seemed to love it anyway.

Over the years Mr Punch and I have performed at all kinds of events throughout County Durham and still do. I am glad to report that the Punch and Judy Show is as popular with the wonderful people of Durham as anywhere else in the country.

One of my favorite places to perform is Beamish Museum. I am very lucky to be invited to perform there at various events throughout the year. If you are reading this and you haven’t been then you really must make the effort. It is a fascinating place and it just gets better and better as they continue to improve or add to all the amazing attractions they have there.

My eldest daughter Natasha and several of my close friends studied at Durham University ( Natasha is a Hatfielder ). Therefore Durham City is a special place to my family. We all love Durham with its fabulous cathedral and lovely streets, buildings and river side walks. The world famous Durham University dominates the city centre and in term time it is packed with students. There are many student balls and events run by the entertainment committees of the many colleges throughout the year and from time to time they too book a Punch and Judy Show.  One of the most memorable occasions for me was performing Punch and Judy in the courtyard of Castle College for their annual summer ball. Great fun.

Over course of my career as a Punch and Judy Man  I have been involved in Council and Corporate Events in places like Bishop Auckland, Sunderland, Consett, Sedgefield, Spennymoor,  Hartlepool, Darlington, Newton Aycliffe and Barnard Castle with clients such as Glaxo Smith Klyne, 3M, Nissan, Caterpillar, NSK Bearings UK, The Sunderland Air Show, The Durham Miners Gala, The Tall Ships Race and many, many more local and community events. Although I live in Richmond, North Yorkshire, County Durham is on my door step and I probably spend more time in Durham than I do  in Yorkshire.

To find out more about my Punch and Judy Show visit my Punch and Judy Web Page on the Jolly Good Productions web site.

 

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Yorkshire Punch And Judy Man

Keeping The Tradition Alive

It’s true. The traditional Punch and Judy Show  is making a come back but you won’t often see Mr Punch and his friends down on the beach so it’s no good heading off to Redcar, Whitby, Scarborough or Bridlington to see him. The chances are he won’t be there.

It’s funny how good ideas catch on. In recent years “Seaside Events” have become popular in Yorkshire. I’m not sure who started it off but there are now annual seaside days taking place in  town centres and market squares throughout North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire too.  Even enterprising showmen have got in on the act realising the appeal a seaside day can have to families looking for a fun day out hence the local fair has now  become “Barnsley by the Sea” etc.Yorkshire Punch and Judy Man

The essential ingredients for a fantastic seaside day are sand, buckets and spades, a Punch and Judy Show, ice cream and donkey rides. I’ll not mention sunshine!

This is all good news if you are a Yorkshire based Punch and Judy Man ( which of course I am ). I live in beautiful Richmond North Yorkshire  and as far as I know I am the first and only professional Punch and Judy Man the town has ever had.  Richmond was a very prosperous place in Georgian times and boasts a delightful Georgian, cobbled market square, a fabulous castle,  a pretty waterfall and much more. It’s a very interesting place to live with lots of history. I love it and I am sure Mr Punch feels very comfortable here too as he is as historical as he is hysterical having arrived in England from Italy in the mid seventeenth century.

I have always been very interested in history and I have always thought it’s important to keep old traditions alive which are two reasons why I love Punch and Judy so much.  I’m also very proud to be a Yorkshire man. I was born in the seaside town of Redcar ( then in North Yorkshire ) and as a commissioned officer in the Yorkshire Volunteers ( a Territorial Army Infantry Regiment ) had the privilege of being married to my wife Hazel in York Minster.

Over the many years I have been fortunate enough to be Mr Punch’s travelling companion and have performed my Punch and Judy Show  throughout Yorkshire including Richmond, Bedale, Northallerton, Thirsk, Ripon, Harrogate and York which are all within an hour of my home. I am used to travelling further field and have also performed at events in Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax, Wakefield, Barnsley, Sheffield, Doncaster and many, many more places in between.

I have to be honest. Travelling around Yorkshire with Punch and Judy has never been a problem to me. First of all I am proud to be a Yorkshire man and second, I’m on a mission….Keeping The Tradition Alive!

If you are looking for a Punch and Judy Show for your event call me now for a FREE quotation. Just fill in the  ENQUIRY FORM which will give me all the information I need to get back to you with a price. Thank you.

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Victorian Punch and Judy Show

Entertainment For A Victorian Themed Event

Victorian Punch and Judy Show

Victorian Punch and Judy Show

Victorian themed events are popular with the public. It is a chance for people to step back into the past and get a taste of what life might have been like during the reign of Queen Victoria.  It’s something different and is likely to arouse the curiosity of the general public who are therefore more likely to come along to see what its all about.

For the organisers its not too difficult to find street entertainers to hire for Victorian events as most professional acts are likely to have suitable costumes. Stilt walkers, jugglers, fire breathers and escapologists are often called on for this type of work.

The Victorians loved Punch and Judy and although many people think that the Punch and Judy Show was a Victorian invention it had been around since the mid seventeenth century. Punch and Judy Shows were performed at country fairs, markets, festivals and on the streets long before seaside holidays were ever thought of.

Mr Punch was well known to the Victorians and when the railways carried Victorian holiday makers to the seaside Punch and Judy went there too and became an essential feature of every families seaside holiday experience.

Future generations automatically linked Punch and Judy with the seaside and Mr Punch became the most famous entertainer of all time providing fun and laughter to generations of children and adults.

To hire an authentic Punch and Judy Show for your Victorian or Dickensian event in Yorkshire, County Durham or Northumberland call us now for a FREE quotation.

Please  use our ENQUIRY FORM to ensure we have ll the information we need.

Alternatively contact us by telephone on 01748 821621.

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Mr Punch’s Xmas Party

Christmas Punch and Judy Showsantasmall

Imagine the fun when Judy decides to hold a Christmas Party and leaves Punch in charge of the baby whilst she goes to do the Christmas shopping. Will Punch behave himself or will he get into trouble when Judy comes back. What will Mr Punch get for Christmas and will he be asleep when Santa Claus comes down the chimney?

This special Christmas Punch and Judy Show is ideal for any Christmas Party or Christmas event. It has all the knock about fun that children love but with a festive theme and of course a lovely Santa Claus puppet for even more excitement.

To arrange a booking or to find out more call 01748 821621 now.

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